Access has released screenshots of its Access Linux Program (or ALP), a successor to PalmOS based on Linux, with the ability to run legacy PalmOS applications (not to be confused with Palm's own attempt at building a new PalmOS, also based on Linux).

that may be true, but like it or not the iphone (like the ipod before it) have put touch interfaces in the radar of joe average. so in a sense, its become the new baseline that one will compare everything to, even if there where similar devices before it.

In USA, maybe. In Europe SonyEricsson UIQ-based smartphones are common even for the average Joe, so touchscreen interface is nothing new here.